Article by Canon Pierre Caillon

Article by Canon Pierre Caillon

from Our Lady’s Call n°127 (3rd quarter 1987)

Since the 25th of March 1984, I have never been able to know for sure what Sister Lucia thinks about the act of consecration made on that day by Jean-Paul II and bishops everywhere in the world. Now, from the 14th to the 19th of September 1986, an important symposium, which claimed to be of the highest level, was held at Fatima. I went to Portugal for the event and Divine Providence granted me two favours which I must relay to specialists interested by this.

1 – I began my visit to Portugal with Porto, where I know a family which paid for Lucia’s school when she was 14, in 1921. This family was for Lucia what one would call ‘old friends’ and who had the right to visit her, very often and on a regular basis, in the Carmel at Coïmbra.

This family was essentially a lady who is four years younger than Lucia, in other words, 76 years old, and a grandmother considered to be the patriarch of her family. Whenever this lady goes to see Lucia, she carefully notes upon returning home the most important things Lucia said. This will be useful for history. This will be in the service of history, but it will only be published after Lucia’s death.

I’ve seen the lady regularly, around twice a year, for a long time but I avoid asking questions because this lady often mutters: “I can’t say”. However, when I arrived in Portugal on Friday the 12th of September 1986, I dared to say: “And the consecration of Russia … ?”

Then, the lady, who has a lot of presence, sat up very straight. Even though she was seated with me at a large table, she drew herself up to her full height while remaining seated, and with all her majesty she stretched her arm out on the table and hammering her words solemnly pronounced: “If you like, I can swear to it with my hand on the bible: the consecration of Russia has not been made”. And as I asked her why, she showed me a small brochure which I’ve had for a long time, and in many examples, because they are not expensive: “A Messageira de Jésus …” by Father Humberto Maria Pasquale. Edicao do Cavaleiro do Immaculada. Av. Camilo 240, Porto. Portugal.

This brochure, whose author I knew well and who I went to see from time to time in a suburb of Turin and who died recently, aims to show that at Fatima, to the children of Fatima, Our Lady never said “Consecration of the world”, but always and uniquely, “Consecration of Russia”, because it should be seen as the unique object of the consecration.

There should be no talk of the world, nor of all the peoples, nor of mankind, nor all the nations … The man in the street should be able to immediately understand that it is a question exclusively of Russia alone.

2 – After I passed through Porto I went to Fatima where I stayed from Saturday the 13th of September to Friday the 19th of September with another person who is from Lucia’s family and who is close to Lucia and goes to see her regularly in the Carmel at Coïmbra.

I’ve been going to this person’s home for years. This time, for seven days, at every meal, morning, noon and night, we only talked about one question: the consecration of Russia. And this person repeated to me a hundred times in every possible way: “The consecration of Russia has not been made. I can say that, because Lucia repeats it to everyone.” Because “it is the consecration of Russia that Our Lady asked for”.

When a child is baptised, he is called by his name. When Russia is consecrated, it should be named in such a way that the whole world understands completely that it concerns Russia alone and nothing else.

3 – Now, even if Lucia were to die suddenly – remember, she’s 80 years old – her friends, who know exactly what she thinks, will never allow anyone to pretend that the consecration has been made.

Sometimes the question is asked: “Who is the judge, the Pope or Sister Lucia?” To be sure, Sister Lucia has always been very respectful of all the authorities in the Church. But Sister Lucia is obviously the only person who knows what Our Lady said to her, and the only person able to authentically transmit the message to whom it may concern. All that seems to me to be perfectly clear.

After every grand attempt at a consecration, in 1942, in 1952, in 1964, in 1982, how many people, sometimes highly placed, have believed and said that the consecration has been made!

But the little voice coming from Portugal was saying no. And it was the same after the great attempt of 1982, when people believed and proclaimed, that this time, it was well and truly done. But the same little voice coming from the Carmel at Coïmbra still says no.

When talking about “the consecration”, it should be clear that we are talking about the consecration of Russia. Otherwise, we should keep quiet. Lucia does not pretend to be highly placed, but she knows what Our Lady told her.

What should we do now? We should try to obtain the heartfelt adhesion of all the bishops to this consecration of Russia. After all of this, the bishops should eventually be able to understand.